India's financial capital, Bombay, has suffered the strongest rains ever recorded in the nation as torrential downpours left at least 200 people dead statewide.
"Never before in Bombay's history has this happened," said Police Commissioner AN Roy. "Our first priority is to rescue people stranded in floods."
"Approximately 200 dead bodies have already been recovered in the state," deputy chief minister RR Patil said, saying an additional 100 deaths were feared across Maharashtra state, where Bombay is the capital.
At least 83 people have died in Bombay, crushed by falling walls, trapped in cars or electrocuted since the most intense rains swept through the city on Tuesday evening, Mr Patil said.
Phone networks collapsed, highways were blocked and the city's airports, among the nation's busiest, were closed.
Officials said parts of the city had been hit by up to 37.1 inches of rain on Tuesday, much of it falling over just a few hours.
India's previous heaviest rainfall, recorded in the northeastern town of Cherrapunji one of the rainiest places on Earth was 33 inches on July 12th, 1910.
Across Bombay, drivers abandoned their vehicles as roads turned into waist-high rivers. At one point, according to state-run All India Radio, about 150,000 people were stranded in railway stations.
Others stayed for hours on buses and trains surrounded by swirling water.